L'amour de Loin: opera in five acts
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Score title
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L'amour de Loin: opera in five acts
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Composer
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Kaija Saariaho
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Program note
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Read the full synopsis here
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Kaija Saariaho's first opera, L'amour de loin, was premiered in Salzburg in August 2000 and the same production was given at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris in November/December 2001, and in Santa Fe, summer 2002. Additional productions have been staged at Theater Bern, Switzerland and future performances will take place in Darmstadt, Germany (Spring 2003) and at the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki (2004).
The libretto has been written by French-Lebanese author Amin Maalouf. Since 1976, Maalouf has been living in France, where he was the editor of the "Jeune Afrique" magazine, travelling as a journalist to around sixty countries. In 1983, he began to be known as an author, with the success of novels such as Léon l'Africain and Samarkand. His book Le Rocher de Tanios from 1993 was awarded the Prix Goncourt.
The story of the opera L'amour de loin is based on "La Vida breve" of Jaufre Rudel, Prince of Blaye, one of the first great troubadours of the 12th century. His glowing passion for a woman from the East of whom he has only heard is the central theme of the libretto.
BRIEF SYNOPSIS
L'Amour de loin is based on La Vida breve, by the great twelfth-century troubador, Jaufré Rudel, Prince of Blaye. Tired of the superficiality of life enjoyed by young men of his rank, Jaufré dreams of an idealised and distant love. Contrary to his expectations, a Pilgrim arrived from the Christian Kingdom of Outre-Mer, claims that he knows of such a woman – Clémence, Countess of Tripoli. Jaufré becomes obsessed with her and decides to travel to meet her. Meanwhile, Clémence has heard of the devotion of this Prince from a faraway land. Initially suspicious, she soon is haunted by dreams of her distant lover. However Jaufré's voyage is hard and by the time he arrives in Tripoli, he is gravely ill. The lovers meet and declare their passion just before Jaufré dies.
CAST
Clémence, Comtesse de Tripoli- soprano
Le Pèlerin- mezzo-soprano
Jaufré Rudel- baritone
Prince de Blaye et Troubadoure- baritone
Kaija Saariaho